Title: Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World

Houghton Mifflin HarcourtStoryTown - 2008Grade 4

Unit 2: Week 7

Suggested Time:5 days (45 minutes per day)

Common Core ELA Standards:RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, RL.4.4; RF.4.3, RF.4.4; W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.9; SL.4.1, SL.4.2; L.4.1, L.4.2, L.4.4, L.4.5

Teacher Instructions

Refer to the Introduction forfurther details.

Before Teaching

Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and theSynopsis. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description for teachers, about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take away after completing this task.

Big Ideas and Key Understandings

An inability to do a task leads to feelings of incompetency and shame, but kind instruction can guide a person to be

successful with those tasks. Both genders can perform the same tasks and experience similar feelings (i.e. boys can cry, etc.).

Synopsis

Justin is upset that he is unable to perform the household chores as well as his sisters. After his outburst of tears over this fact, his grandpa invites him to visit his ranch. During that visit Justin observes his grandpa performing the household chores with pleasure. Not only does he see his grandpa doing these chores, but his grandpa also takes the time to show Justin how he can become better at them. Justin begins to grapple with his feelings of guilt and shame about calling those chores “women’s work” and learns that what matters is that we try to learn and do the best we can in the most enjoyable way. He also learns from his grandpa that it is okay to cry even though he originally thought that made him a baby.

Instructional Focus

Resolving conflicts

Read entire main selection text, keeping in mind the Big Ideas and Key Understandings.
Re-read the main selection text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Vocabulary.

During Teaching

Students read the entire main selection text independently.
Teacher reads the main selection text aloud with students following along.

(Depending on how complex the text is and the amount of support needed by students, the teacher may choose to reverse the order of steps 1 and 2.)

Students and teacher re-read the text while stopping to respond to and discussthe questions and returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and discussion (i.e.: whole class discussion, think-pair-share, independent written response, group work, etc.)

Text Dependent Questions

Text Dependent Questions / Answers
At the beginning of the story, while Grandpa is visiting, Justin gets so upset he begins to cry. What caused Justin to have this reaction? (p.188) / He feels as though everyone complains about the way he does things; he can’t do anything right – at least not the things his friend Anthony calls “women’s work.”
On page 189 the author writes that “Justin stood around downstairs. He had a strange feeling of guilt and wished he had helped with the dishes.” What does it mean to feel guilty? Why does Justin consider this feeling to be a strange one? / A person may feel guilty when they don’t do something they think they should have done – or did something they shouldn’t have done. Justin may have a strange feeling of guilt because he is confused about Grandpa doing “women’s work” so easily and pleasantly. Grandpa asked him to help, and he didn’t because he doesn’t feel competent – yet he feels he should have helped.
On pages 190-191 Justin moved from being reluctant to saying, “…That was easy, Grandpa.” and Grandpa responded, “Everything’s easy when you know how.” What led to Justin feeling a “surge” or a sudden strong burst“of love for his grandpa”? / Justin had been reluctant to do his chores because he couldn’t do them well. Grandpa showed him how to wash and dry dishes, make his bed, and fold his clothes. Grandpa was patient with him and encouraged him to do a good job.
What does “riding fence” mean? Why is it important for a rancher like Grandpa to “ride fence”? (p. 191) / Inspecting the fence for weak spots so they can be repaired and the cows will be safe.
On page 192 Justin said, “I guess that’s a joke, eh?” What was the joke? / His grandpa referred to the nursery rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle” with a serious look on his face.
The author uses a series of words and phrases on page 192 to help paint of picture of Justin and Grandpa’s surroundings. What words or phrases help you to “see” their setting? / Sun heated up the morning; foothills were varying shades of green; shadows dotted the plains; fog lingered like lazy clouds; insects buzzed; a small cloud of mosquitoes swarmed just behind their heads; beautiful cardinals splashed their redness on the morning air.
At the end of this descriptive paragraph, the author writes, “Justin felt a surge of happiness and hugged Black with his knees and heels.” Why does Justin feel this “surge” of happiness after witnessing his surroundings that morning? / The author’s words paint a picture of a new day. This pretty and calm setting allows Justin to forget his troubles and enjoy the outdoors with his grandpa.
“Reread pages 194-195. What evidence does the author provide to show that Grandpa is gentle and understands the feelings of others?” / The incident with the fawn and the way Grandpa handled it shows us a lot about his character. He is gentle with the fawn, and he is careful not to upset the doe. We know this by the way he carefully handles the fawn and tells Justin to stay still so the doe doesn’t get upset. He is also understanding of Justin and Black’s reaction to the blood on the fawn and encourages them to “run” for a few minutes.
What did Justin learn from watching Grandpa prepare lunch? / Men can be cooks.
On page 198, the author writes, “The look he [Justin] gave Grandpa revealed his doubts.”? Based on clues in the text, what do the words “reveal” and “doubt” mean? What does this sentence tell us about Justin and how he felt about what Grandpa was telling him? (p. 198) / To reveal means to show something that you haven’t shown others before, and doubts are feelings you have when you’re not sure about something. The author was showing us that Justin wasn’t totally convinced that men can be good cooks (he remembered the egg on the floor and his rice burning). He still has doubts about whether or not Grandpa is right.
What do the facts about black cowboys have to do with the characters in this story? How do the illustrations help us to understand why Grandpa might have told Justin about these people? (pages 199-201) / Grandpa and Justin are both African American, and Grandpa was sharing stories about other prominent African Americans in which Justin might be interested. For instance, he asked Grandpa, “Were there lots of Black Cowboys?”
On page 202 Justin said, “I bet you don’t like boys that cry like babies.” What was Grandpa’s response, and why did he tell Justin about the time he cried? / Grandpa said we all cry sometimes. He told Justin that he had cried when Justin was born. He was “flooded with joy” at the sight of the baby. Grandma had just died and he knew she would never be able to see the beautiful boy.
In the final lines of the story, the author writes, “A warmth spread over Justin and he lowered his eyes. He wished he could tell his grandpa all he felt, how much he loved him.” Based on what we know about Justin, what inferences can we make about why he didn’t tell his grandpa how much he loved him? / This circles back to the doubt that Justin was still harboring over men being cooks and reinforces the questions about crying. Justin is still unsure about what is and is not “okay” for him to feel or do. He didn’t think men cook and he didn’t think men should cry. He thought crying made him look like a baby. Therefore, we can infer that Justin either thinks he shouldn’t talk about his love because he is a boy or because it would make him look like a baby. He still has a lot to learn from his grandpa.

Vocabulary

KEY WORDS ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTANDING
Words addressed with a question or task / WORDS WORTH KNOWING
General teaching suggestions are provided in the Introduction
TEACHER PROVIDES DEFINITION
not enough contextual clues provided in the text / Page 191 - Surge / Page 188 - Convinced, ranch
Page 189 - Stacks, helpings, measuring, strange, meadow
Page 190 - Razor sharp
Page 191 - Hurriedly, surge, graze, linger, taut
Page 194 - Cautiously, pranced, restlessly, bounded, trembled
Page 195 - Resounding, mimicking
Page 197 - Amazed
Page 198 - Lurked, rustling
Page 199 - Offered
Page 201 - Shame
STUDENTS FIGURE OUT THE MEANING
sufficient context clues are provided in the text / Page 190 - Reluctant
Page 191 - Riding fence
Page 198 - Reveal, doubt / Page 188 - Complaints
Page 189 - Quickly, cleared, carefully, guilt
Page 190 - Well-made, faded, rumpled
Page 191 - Inspecting, mending,
Page 192 - Bitter, alarmed
Page 194 - Protect, untangled
Page 197 - Suggested
Page 198 - Pounded, revealed
Page 201 - Teasing

Culminating Task

Re-Read, Think, Discuss, Write

Justin’s inability to complete household chores leads him to feel bad about himself and deem that kind of work to be “women’s work”. Through the help of his grandpa, Justin learns that chores become easier the more you practice and that both boys and girls, grown-ups and children experience many of the same emotions. Using specific examples from the story, write one well-developed paragraph that explains how Justin’s grandpa helps him come to these realizations.

(Answers may vary)At the beginning of the story, Justin feels as though he can’t do anythingright after hearing complaints from his sisters and mother about the way he does his chores. His friend Anthony refers to these chores as “women’s work”, and after the things his family says, he begins to think that phrase is true. This all changes after Justin visits his grandfather’s ranch. Justin watches his grandpa cook breakfast, wash dishes, and sweep the floor--all things he previously thought to be women’s work. His grandpa even helps him make his bed and fold his clothes. According to Grandpa, “Everything’s easy when you know how.” This statement helps to show Justin that maybe he couldn’t complete his chores to the best of his ability because he didn’t really know how to do them in the first place. Another example of Justin not really knowing or understanding something is when he brings up the idea that his grandpa probably thinks he is a baby because he saw him crying. Grandpa responds by saying, “We all cry sometime.” Then, he goes on to tell Justin the story about how he cried the day Justin was born because he was so happy. After this, Justin looks at his grandpa and a “warmth spread over” him. This warmth is a signal that Grandpa’s words had an effect on Justin. He was starting to understand that it’s okay to cry even though he is a growing boy. Justin would not have learned these things about cooking and cleaning and other household work or even his emotions if it were not for Grandpa and his guidance.

Additional Tasks

Replace suggested writing prompts on T96 and T97 with the following from T143:

Compare an animal that lurks with an animal that runs.

What noises resounded across the prairie as Justin and Grandpa rode through the tall grass.

Describe how Grandpa prepared to cook lunch.

Why doesn’t Justin think Grandpa is a real cowboy?

By the end of the story, what important lessons did Justin learn from Grandpa?

Make a word web of words in the story that relate to ranch life or cowboy.
Draw picturesor explain the meaning of phrases from the story, such as snug a bug, rein the horse, riding fence, razor sharp, well made bed can be a warm welcome, break horses, tighten the cinches

Note to Teacher

Oral reading – the Lexile is 620 (2nd-3rd grade). Students can read story aloud with a focus on fluency – beginning on with the top of column 2 on page 192 through the bottom of column 1 on page 195.Use activities to increase the complexity of the task.

Houghton Mifflin HarcourtStoryTown - 2008Grade 4

Name______Date______

“Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World”

1. At the beginning of the story, while Grandpa is visiting, Justin gets so upset he begins to cry. What caused Justin to have this reaction? (Pg.188)

2. On page 189 the author writes that “Justin stood around downstairs. He had a strange feeling of guilt and wished he had helped with the dishes.” What does it mean to feel guilty? Why does Justin consider this feeling to be a strange one? (Pg. 189)

3. On pages 190-191 Justin moved from being reluctant to saying, “…That was easy, Grandpa.” and Grandpa responded, “Everything’s easy when you know how.” What led to Justin feeling a “surge” or a sudden strong burst “of love for his grandpa”? (Pgs. 190-191)

4. What does “riding fence” mean? Why is it important for a rancher like Grandpa to “ride fence”? (Pg. 191)

5. On page 192 Justin said, “I guess that’s a joke, eh?” What was the joke? (Pg. 192)

6. The author uses a series of words and phrases on page 192 to help paint of picture of Justin and Grandpa’s surroundings. What words or phrases help you to “see” their setting? (Pg. 192)

7. At the end of this descriptive paragraph, the author writes, “Justin felt a surge of happiness and hugged Black with his knees and heels.” Why does Justin feel this “surge” of happiness after witnessing his surroundings that morning?

8. “Reread pages 194-195. What evidence does the author provide to show that Grandpa is gentle and understands the feelings of others?” (Pgs. 194-195)

9. What did Justin learn from watching Grandpa prepare lunch?

10. On page 198, the author writes, “The look he [Justin] gave Grandpa revealed his doubts.”? Based on clues in the text, what do the words “reveal” and “doubt” mean? What does this sentence tell us about Justin and how he felt about what Grandpa was telling him? (Pg. 198)

11. What do the facts about black cowboys have to do with the characters in this story? How do the illustrations help us to understand why Grandpa might have told Justin about these people? (Pgs. 199-201)

12. On page 202 Justin said, “I bet you don’t like boys that cry like babies.” What was Grandpa’s response, and why did he tell Justin about the time he cried? (Pg. 202)

13. In the final lines of the story, the author writes, “A warmth spread over Justin and he lowered his eyes. He wished he could tell his grandpa all he felt, how much he loved him.” Based on what we know about Justin, what inferences can we make about why he didn’t tell his grandpa how much he loved him?